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Flavorful, Healthy Fare at Springbone Kitchen (NYC)

Under most circumstances, I am not the person who seeks out healthy food unless I feel the need to eat cleaner after an intense week of indulging at parties, events or even vacation. Springbone Kitchen is a new fast-casual place that is based on the bone broth (if you’ve been following the food news in NYC, it’s a big trend for the past year) in Greenwich Village. It’s founded by two young co-owners Jordan Feldman and Sam Eckstein who wanted healthier food options beyond the typical salad bowl and even one of them replaced his morning cup of coffee for broth.

Don’t be dissuaded to go there because it’s wholesome, good-for-you kind of food. The food is seriously tasty and flavorful. The two bone broths I’ve had — Liquid Gold and Butterbroth (shown are large size $10 each) — were fantastic and rich on the palate due to the bones’ collagen (chicken and beef, respectively) simmering away for 18 hours. The Liquid Gold broth has a touch of organic coconut milk and tumeric and the Butterbroth is based on the idea of the bulletproof coffee — except this beef broth is enrichened with grass-fed butter.

The avocado toast is ubiquitous and what makes Springbone stand out is that they have two different ways of serving it. The avocado toast ($4.95) is topped with seaweed flakes and za’atar spice on gluten-free toast. The bread itself is very nutty and deliious (this is not the tasteless cardboard bread we’ve come across before) and the seaweed flakes add a bit of umami and the za’tar for a tangy, spicy note. The avoacdo baked egg ($6.95) is what I wouldn’t mind having every morning for a substantial breakfast, especially in the summer. The halved avocado’s flesh is scraped and puréed until smooth piped back into the skin. The baked egg (it’s actually baked in a bain marie or in a steam bath) to get its wonderful yolky, soft boiled state. The whole thing gets topped with fresh tomatoes, seaweed flakes and spices and a side of gluten-free toasts.

If you want something more substantial, the grass-fed burger ($12.95, plus supplements of $2 for bacon + $1 for avocado) with portobllo mushroom caps “buns” is the item to get. The burger is lean and flavorful since the beef is from a great local source and well seasoned. Despite the fact this burger is cooked to a medium, it’s still juicy with the help of the mushrooms and added meaty flavor. The caramelized onions, creamy avocado and crispy bacon added an incredible depth of flavors that it felt like an umami bomb is setting off at each bite. This burger is filling but definitely does not make me feel gross. And it’s suggested to eat this burger with a knife and fork.

The other dish that feels familiar is the “spaghetti” and meatballs ($11.95). The pasta portion is blanched spiralized zucchini with homemade meatballs that doesn’t have any breadcrumbs (they substitute it with grated Parmesan) and topped with a zesty tomato sauce with a side shot-size amount of their beef broth. I prefer to eat this plate without the broth (I think the textures and flavors are perfect without it. The beef broth is the minimalist kind in the best way and I drink it like a shot.

For the small but focused dessert menu, they have a seasonal bone broth popscicle that is blended with raspberries and sweetened with maple syrup. It’s tart and sweet from the raspberries, refreshing but I don’t really get the bone broth flavor (I mean the latter in a very good way). I know it initially reads “savory” popsiicle but this ice pop is a cleaner version of what you might have grown up with. If they really did come up with a savory popscicle, please sign me up on the waitlist.

If popscicles aren’t your thing for dessert, they do make excellent vegan soft serves. Sure, you might turn your nose on a vegan frozen dessert but they use coconut milk as their cream base to make it luscious enough to be satisfied. I’ve opted for the swirl of their seasonal fruit (strawberry-rhubarb) with chocolate avocado. It’s a great frozen treat for the steam bath days of summer that I don’t feel guilty eating.

To view more photos of this visit, please CLICK HERE for the set of view the gallery below: